Strand treatment

ABSTRACT

While being fed into a laterally confining region to be retained temporarily and compressively crimped therein, laterally spaced textile strands are traversed laterally to and fro along the entrance to the region. The resulting uneven cross-sectional distribution of crimped strand accumulation in the region is conducive to separation of individual strands upon exiting from the region.

United States Pamnt 1 91 Stanley et al. 1 Mar. 27, 1973 STRAND TREATMENT 3,500,518 3/1970 Stanley eta] ..28/l.6 [75] Inventors: Robert Stanley, Media; In 1/1971 Stanley ..28/l.6

Schwartz, Philadelphia, both of Pa.

8/1972 Torello-Viera ..28/l .6

[73] Assignee: Techniservice Corporation, Kennett Primary Examiner-Louis K. Rimrodt Square, Pa. Attorney-Max R. Millman 22 Fled: an. 31 1972 1 1 J 57 ABSTRACT [21] Appl No.: 222,135

While being fed into a laterally confimng region to be retained temporarily and compre'ssively crimped [52] US. Cl ..28/1.6, 28/7214 therein laterally Spaced textile Strands are traversed 11ft. Clny to fro l g h entrance to the region. Fleld of Search ..28/1.6, uneven cross sectional distribution of crimped strand accumulation in the region is condu- [56] References cive to separation of individual strands upon exiting UNITED STATES PATENTS from the reglon- 3,234,624 2/l966 Shattuck .j. ..28/l.6 16 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures STRAND TREATMENT This invention relates to compressive crimping of textile strands, as in a stuffing chamber.

Textile strands subjected to longitudinally compressive crimping are, customarily treated either one strand (which may be either monofilament or multifilament) at a time, or a multiplicity of such strands simultaneously, in a single temporarily confining region. Despite apparent throughput advantages of multiple strand treatment, the crimped strands cannot be separated readily from one another upon (or after) being withdrawn from the crimped strand accumulation within the confining region. I

A primary object of the present invention is simultaneous compressive crimping of a plurality of textile strands in a single laterally confining region without impairing separability of the individual strands.

Another object is improvement in the feeding of a plurality of laterally spaced textile strands into a compressive crimping region.

A further object is provision of traversing guide means conducive to the foregoing objects.

Other objects of this invention, together with means and methods for accomplishing the various objects, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying diagrams, which are exemplary rather than limitative. I

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of elements for practicing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of substitute apparatus for certain component apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of other component apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view (on an enlarged scale) of apparatus elements of preceding views together with a first embodiment of traverse drive means;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 6'but with a second embodiment of traverse drive means; and

FIG. 8 is a similar perspective view with a third embodiment of traverse drive means.

In general, the objects of the present invention are accomplished, in compressive crimping of textile strands in a laterally confining region having an entrance and an exit, by feeding a plurality of strands spaced laterally from one another into the entrance and simultaneously traversing the strands to and fro along the entrance. The strands may be traversed in phase or out of phase with one another, with diverse effects, and the invention extends to correspondingly diverse drive means.

FIG. 1 shows, schematically, pair of strands 10a and 10h unwinding from respective conical packages Ila and 11b to pass through guides 12a and 12b and then the nips of successive pairs of godet and separator rolls 13, 13 and 15, 15', with optional snubbing pin 14 therebetween if the strand is to be drawn by the rolls. Heating enclosure H for the strands between the respective pairs of rolls is represented as an enclosure (shown in broken lines) therearound. Thereupon the strands pass over guide bar 16, which carries individual strand guides (shown in succeeding views) Next the strands pass between pair of nip rolls 17, 17 into confining chamber 18, part of the length of which is omitted from the view to conserve space of illustration. Crimped strands 10a and 10b (so designated to distinguish them from starting strands 10a and 10b) are wound up from the exit of the chamber onto respective cylindrical packages 20a and 20b by grooved traversing drive rolls 19a and 19b. Drive means for the various rolls (other than feed rolls 17, 17) are omitted from this and succeeding views as superfluous because merely conventional, thereby simplifying the illustration. It will be understood that, when the strand is to be drawn in the enclosure, it is wrapped about the snubbing pin,

and godet roll 15 is overdrawn relative to godet roll 13, e.g., at a surface speed ratio of about four times (for a 4X draw).

FIG. 2 shows, in end elevation, substitute heating en? closure H, which contains a three-roll arrangement of rolls 23 25 in the undiverted path of web 10 of the individual strands (not shown separately in this view) and intervening roll 24 located at a different level and about which the web of strands travels, thereby diverting the strand path. This arrangement is preferred when the draw rolls of original heating enclosure H are not used. All three rolls are preferably driven alike (i.e., at uniform surface speed) in step with the speed of crirnped feed rolls 17, 17', whereupon tension variations are counteracted. Thus, when the web tension decreases between rolls 23 and 24, slippage occurs to some extent about all three rolls, thereby tending to reduce the web speed and tending to restore the tension applied by the crirnper feed rolls; alternatively, when the web tension in the heating enclosure increases, the tightening of the web against the rolls brings its speed up closer to roll speed, thereby tending toward uniform feed roll tension.

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 show stuffer-crimping components and associated elements of the same apparatus in front and side elevation and plan, respectively. Chamber 18 is shown in the shape of a simple hollow parallepipedal cylinder having rectangular bore 28 (FIG. 4). As in FIG. 1, the chamber in the elevational views (FIGS. 2 and 3) is broken away in vertical extent-to conserve space in the drawing. Rolls 17, 17', which feed or stuff the strands into the entrance to the bore are overlapped at their ends by the front and rear walls of the chamber as far as the roll nip so as to ensure that no strand escapes entering the chamber.

It will be understood that as the strands accumulate in the chamber, the entering strands meet with resistance provided by the previously accumulated strands and buckle back and forth into a modified sawtooth or zigzag configuration or crimp. As more of each strand is fed continuously into the chamber, the strand accumulation is forced thereby along through the bore toward the exit therefrom.

The exit .end of the chamber, which is shown level with the entrance in FIG. 1 and at a level vertically above the level of the entrance in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 (which may be otherwise the same), is preferably unobstructed, as is the rest of the chamber bore, as disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,279,025 and 3,386,142. Crimped strands 10a and 10b are withdrawn at a constant or fixed rate, which is preadjustable as desired, from the strand accumulation inside the chamber and is wound up onto bobbins or like packages 20a and 20b rotated by surface contact with rotating drive rolls 19a and 19b, respectively. Each drive roll is grooved helically from end to end, the groove reversing direction at each end, and thereby is adapted to traverse the strand passing over it and through the groove on its way to the package, as is conventional. As suggested above, the adjustable constant-rate drive means for the selftraversing drive roll is conventional in design and, therefore, not shown, and the same is true of drive means for the other rolls (some of which may not be driven at all), but the drive means for the feed rolls of the stuffer-crimper is shown in some detail to aid understanding thereof.

Chamber 18, into which the strand is stuffed and in which it assumes crimped configuration, is supported on the front wall of frame 22, which has an inverted U- shape in side elevation. Shafts 27, 27 for respective feed rolls 17, 17' are journaled in the front-and rear walls of the frame and have intermeshinggears 37, 37 thereon behind the rear wall of the frame. Shaft 27 also has pulley 29 thereon. Motor 31 on the horizontal upper surface of the frame has shaft 32 on which is pulley 33. Belt 34 interconnects pulleys 33 and 29 to transmit rotational force to the gears, shafts, and the feed rolls themselves. The direction of rotation is such as to feed or stuff the strands by and between the counterrotating feed rolls into the entrance of the chamber. As already indicated, the infeed rate is normally constant, although it may be adjustable to different rates to accommodate different strands or changes in operating conditions.

Guide means 16, over which the strands pass before entering the nip of feed rolls 17, 17', is a device for traversing the strand back and forth along the roll nip, as is desirable to assure preferred distribution thereof transversely of chamber 18 in which the strands accumulate in crimped configuration. The guide means carries spaced pair of transverse guides 21a and 21b (the latter not visible in FIG. 3) in line with the respective paths of strands a and 10b from the nip of rolls 15,

' (FIG. 1) through guides 12a and 12b to the nip of feed rolls 17, 17'. The respective guides are spaced by about half the traverse length from one another on the guide means. The guide means is affixed to one end of cam rod 36 journaled in support 39, which is conveniently mounted on the-front of the chamber.

FIG. 6 shows, on an enlarged scale, guide means 16 carrying pair of traverse guides 21a and 21b in juxtaposition to the nip of feed rolls 17, 17 and shows strands 10a and 10b passing from respective fixed guides 12a and 12b to the traverse guides. Cam rod 36 terminates in follower end 35 engaged in traverse groove 41' of cam roll 40. It will be apparent that as the cam roll rotates it traverses the guide means with guides 21a and 21b thereon back and forth and thereby traverses the strands to and fro along the feed roll nip, which (as indicated in preceding views) defines the entrance to the confining region otherwise bounded by chamber 18. Not shown, although preferably present, are means just inside the entrance for deflecting the exiting strands laterally toward the chamber axis, as set forth in U. S. Pat. No. 3,553,802. Of course, when the system is operating, the strands are laid into the chamber entrance, via a close approximation of simple harmonic motion by reason of the traverse action, in a bimodal pattern.

The embodiment of this invention just described produces in the confining chamber a pair of side-byside columns of crimped strand accumulation, each of which is less compact along its axis than at its edges, which correspond to traverse reversals, whereupon each column tends to recede laterally toward its axis. The strand density perpendicular to the traverse direction (and to the axis) is relatively uniform at an intermediate value. While there is some tendency for the crimped strands to intermingle along their adjacent edges, they retain their individual identity and separate readily (if desired, as indicated) upon individual withdrawal from the chamber.

FIG. 7 shows similarly to FIG. 6 an alternative embodiment of the strand-traversing arrangement of this invention. The previous single guide means is replaced by pair of guide means 16a and 16b carrying respective guides 21a and 21b. Cam rod 36a of guide means 16a terminates in follower end 35a engaged in traverse groove 41 of roll 40, while cam rod 36b of guide means 21b has follower end 35b engaged in traverse groove 41' of added cam roll 40'. The grooves of the respective rolls are exactly out of phase so that the respective guides carry the strands toward one another and then away from one another along the feed'roll nip. This results in even sharper definition of the columns of crimped strand accumulation in the chamber.

FIG.' 8 shows similarly a further embodiment in which the guides 21a and 21b are individually mounted as in the preceding view but traversed in like manner out of phase using only one cam roll 40. Cam rod 36b has follower end 35b engaged in the opposite extremity of traverse groove 41 from follower end 35a of cam roll 36a. A like out-of-phase strand-traversing action results.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, other modifica- I tions may be made if desired. Thus, parts or steps may be added, combined, or subdivided, or equivalents be substituted therefor, while retaining at least some of the advantages and benefits of the invention, which is traversing of the strands produces cross-sectional nonuniformity of strand distribution in the confining region characterized by a bimodal pattern when only two strands are so treated.

4. Strand crimping according to claim 1, wherein the traversing of the strands produces cross-sectional nonuniformity of strand distribution in the confining region characterized by density maxima at the traverse reversals.

5. Multiple-end vstuffer crimping of textile strands comprising feeding a plurality of strands spaced laterally from one another into the entrance of a laterally confining stuffing chamber having also an exit for removal of crimped strand therefrom, traversing the strands to and fro along the entrance, removing the crimped strands through the exit, and winding them up individually from one another.

6. Strand crimping according to claim 5, wherein the strands are withdrawn individually through the chamber exit.

7. Strand crimping according to claim 5, wherein adjacent strands are traversed out of phase with one another.

8. Strand crimping according to claim 5, wherein only a pair of strands are crimped simultaneously in the chamber.

9. Strand crimping according to claim 8, wherein the strands are traversed in phase with one another.

10. In apparatus for compressive crimping of textile strands, the improvement, in conjunction with a laterally confining crimping chamber, of a strand guide juxtaposed to the chamber entrance, the guide being movable laterally to traverse a plurality of strands laterally spaced from one another to and fro along the entrance.

ll. Strand-crimping apparatus according to claim the strand-traversing means.

10, including also means for traversing the guide laterally to and fro in simple harmonic motion.

12. Strand-crimping apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the guide-traversing means comprises a grooved-camming roll, and the guide has a follower for camming contact therewith.

l3. Strand-crimping apparatus comprising a laterally confining 's'tuffing chamber having an entrance and an exit, means for feeding strands into the exit, means for withdrawing strands through the exit, and strandtraversing means juxtaposed to the feeding means for traversing a plurality of laterally spaced strands to and fro along the entrance.

14. Strand-crimping apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the feeding means include a pair of nip rolls with their nip parallel to the traversing direction.

15. Strand-crimping apparatus according to claim 13, including strand-drawing means immediately preceding the strand-traversing means.

16. Strand-crimping apparatus according to claim 13, including means for equalizing strand tension at,

substantially constant length immediately preceding 

1. In compressive crimping of textile strands in a laterally confining region having an entrance and an exit, the improvement comprising feeding a plurality of strands spaced laterally from one another into the entrance and simultaneously traversing the strands to and fro along the entrance.
 2. Strand crimping according to claim 1, including the step of removing the crimped strands through the exit of the confining region and separating them individually.
 3. Strand crimping according to claim 1, wherein the traversing of the strands produces cross-sectional non-uniformity of strand distribution in the confining region characterized by a bimodal pattern when only two strands are so treated.
 4. Strand crimping according to claim 1, wherein the traversing of the strands produces cross-sectional non-uniformity of strand distribution in the confining region characterized by density maxima at the traverse reversals.
 5. Multiple-end stuffer crimping of textile strands comprising feeding a plurality of strands spaced laterally from one another into the entrance of a laterally confining stuffing chamber having also an exit for removal of crimped strand therefrom, traversing the strands to and fro along the entrance, removing the crimped strands through the exit, and winding them up individually from one another.
 6. Strand crimping according to claim 5, wherein the strands are withdrawn individually through the chamber exit.
 7. Strand crimping according to claim 5, wherein adjacent strands are traversed out of phase with one another.
 8. Strand crimping according to claim 5, wherein only a pair of strands are crimped simultaneously in the chamber.
 9. Strand crimping according to claim 8, wherein the strands are traversed in phase with one another.
 10. In apparatus for compressive crimping of textile strands, the improvement, in conjunction with a laterally confining crimping chamber, of a strand guide juxtaposed to the chamber entrance, the guide being movable laterally to traverse a plurality of strands laterally spaced from one another to and fro along the entrance.
 11. Strand-crimping apparatus according to claim 10, including also means for traversing the guide laterally to and fro in simple harmonic motion.
 12. Strand-crimping apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the guide-traversing means comprises a grooved camming roll, and the guide has a follower for camming contact therewith.
 13. Strand-crimping apparatus cOmprising a laterally confining stuffing chamber having an entrance and an exit, means for feeding strands into the exit, means for withdrawing strands through the exit, and strand-traversing means juxtaposed to the feeding means for traversing a plurality of laterally spaced strands to and fro along the entrance.
 14. Strand-crimping apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the feeding means include a pair of nip rolls with their nip parallel to the traversing direction.
 15. Strand-crimping apparatus according to claim 13, including strand-drawing means immediately preceding the strand-traversing means.
 16. Strand-crimping apparatus according to claim 13, including means for equalizing strand tension at substantially constant length immediately preceding the strand-traversing means. 